Social Research Methods - Essay Example

?Sociology Part I Describe the steps in the research process. Why is the research process useful to researchers? There are a number of stages in the research process. The stages in the research process must be considered in terms of whether the research is qualitative or quantitative. This is because these research types use different forms of gathering and analyzing data. Specifically quantitative research uses mathematical and statistical methods of gathering and analyzing data. Conversely, qualitative research uses a variety of means of analyzing research data, except analyzing this data is done more by the specific researcher. For quantitative research the first step in the research process is to develop a research topic. Research topics can be gained from a variety of areas but are generally related to the researcher’s background or interests. A notable point about researcher topics, however, is that they are very broad, so it is necessary to break them down to something narrower. The next step of the research process is developing a research question. An important thing to recognize is that the research question comes after the research topic, except the research question is more specific. In developing a research topic there are a lot of things that occur. For instance, “this requires a careful review of literature and developing hypotheses.”1 By reviewing literature the research is able to find areas that have not been previously researched. In this way the researcher is able to narrow down the research topic to a research question. The next stage of the research process is to design a study. Designing a study involves forming the way that the material will be analyzed. For quantitative research, designs must use math or statistics. Real life elements are analyzed through using math and statistics. The research design also considers the way that the research will analyze the data. This is very important to specify because it aids in determining the results. The next stage of the research process is collecting data. For quantitative research, collecting data involves gathering specific numbers and information to ensure the study has a high reliability. Following this stage the researcher must analyze the data that has been collected. For quantitative research, analyzing the data is often aided by computer models. Still it is also necessary to interpret the data. As such, the next stage of the research design is to interpret the data. This process occurs as the researcher works to find parts of the math and statistics that demonstrate notable areas. Following this stage the researcher informs others. Informing others doesn’t simply involve telling one’s friends and colleagues, but also involves writing the data down and publishing it. Qualitative research also follows these steps. Still, there are some differences for qualitative research as compared to quantitative research. The most important difference between these is that the first step of qualitative research requires that the research consider their personal perspectives. This is highly important for qualitative research, as the researcher will be the one analyzing the data. In quantitative research the data is largely from math so there is less influence from the research. However, in qualitative research the researcher is more responsible for interpreting things so they must consider their perspective first. The research process is very useful to researchers for a variety of reasons. Perhaps the most important thing is that the research process provides an outline that can contribute to developing strong and valid and reliable research. By following the research steps the researcher is then able to ensure that they can share their research through publication. Another part about the research process that makes it useful is that by following this process the researcher is able to limit the potential for researcher bias. While bias is always possible, the researcher steps provide a structure to follow that makes the research more valid.2 Part II 1. Explain the advantages and disadvantages of adopting the case-study research design. There are a number of advantages and disadvantages to using the case study research design. Case study research is research that occurs through a researcher developing a case study. In this way the research is qualitative as it is necessary to establish interpretations of it. While case studies can also be quantitative, the data collection method is such that it has a number of unique elements. One of the major advantages of the case-study research design is that it is very effective when the sample size is known to be small ahead of time. This way the researcher recognizes that the case study format will conform well to the study group, as they will be able to observe the case study group in enough detail to gather viable information and make strong insights.3 Another major advantage of case study research is that it allows the researcher in-depth time and perspectives on the subject study. While case studies have been considered as having validity issues, in other ways one can consider that they present strong amounts of insights in the real world. For instance, a researcher conducting a case study on a small classroom environment is able to gain in-depth knowledge about small minutia of the daily life and on-goings of the class. These sorts of insights are not possible when conducting larger sorts of research, as these sorts of research may require more general forms of data. Ultimately, then a primary advantage of case study research is the in-depth way it allows researchers to collect information and make observations. There are also a lot of disadvantages to using the case study method. One of the major disadvantages relates to validity. Specifically, the case study has disadvantages to do with internal and external validity.4 Validity refers to the extent that an experiment corresponds to the real world. With case study research there is limited control over the subjects, so it is possible that the results obtained will vary by great measures. One considers that this is different than in lab research where the researcher is able to tightly control the research design and processes so that the results are highly valid and reliable. In this way a major disadvantage is that the case study research may only be reliable in certain situations. Another possible disadvantage of the case study method is the belief that it relies too heavily on the researcher’s interpretation. In this way it has gained a reputation as being a means of falsifying research, as the researcher can bend the interpretation anyway they want to ensure it meets their expectations. In conclusion, this essay has examined the advantages and disadvantages of using the case study approach. In terms of advantages the essay argues that the case study method allows researchers to gain in-depth research that may not available in other ways. In terms of disadvantages the essay argues that the case study method may have validity issues. It also may create instances where the research can falsify research to meet their expectations. References Garger, John. "Using the Case Study Method in PhD Research." brighthub. N.p., 2010. Web. 4 Oct 2012. . Neuman, L. Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. New York: Allyn & Bacon. 2005. Read More